


Lessons

by indefensibleselfindulgence



Category: Campaign Skyjacks, Illimat (Board Game)
Genre: Birds, Canon Typical Weirdness, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 13:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17183615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indefensibleselfindulgence/pseuds/indefensibleselfindulgence
Summary: "And everyone else does it! Even Dref- and that's just- Gable it's sad if I can't and Dref can. It's sad.”“It is a little sad.” They have to admit.





	Lessons

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not saying that gable is like team parent (but im not not saying that either) 
> 
> not beta'd

“Gable Gable Gable Ga- Are you busy?”  
  
They turn their head away from the big peacock, fingers still scratching in its plumage. Jonnit looks like he's out of breath, but then when isn't he. He really is tiny, especially in the half twilight, hard shadows making him look even thinner.  
  
“I suppose not anymore.” Lukas trills almost silently, beak nipping at their other hand. They return their attention, one hand smoothing the feathers on his neck down carefully. “Did the other two call a meeting?”  
  
“Other two- Uh- no. Uh- It's a me thing. A me favor.”  
  
“Go ahead.” Lukas sticks his head right up against the cage, and they coo back at him, so quiet they're sure even Jonnit only a few feet away won't hear. “Who's a good bird?” They ask and Lukas trills again, a little louder. “Yes, you are. Yes, you are.” They whisper, only loud enough for Jonnit to hear something, more rustling than whispering.  
  
“I finished my chores, and some of the crew was going to drink.”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Could you teach me? How to drink? Like the crew does? With out, you know, feeling bad after?”  
  
Gable's hands keep moving, but it's more reflex than anything else. They turn to look at him again, eyes probably a little wider then they would like them to be.  
  
“Why would-”  
  
“I don't want to puke on cute girls anymore! And everyone else does it! Even Dref- and that's just- Gable it's sad if I can't and Dref can. It's sad.”  
  
“It is a little sad.” They have to admit.  
  
“So when you're done with your birds-”  
  
“You know it's not a one and done thing, right?”  
  
Jonnit falters a little, hands twisting in the oversized shirt he wears.  
  
Tiny.  
  
“It's not?”  
  
“You build up a resistance to it over time. Over a lot of time.”  
  
“Oh.” He sounds exceptionally miserable, and Gable sighs.  
  
“Come here.” When he looks up, they nod, taking a step to the left. “Come on.” He trots over, and Gable takes one of his hands, leading it up to Lukas' plumage. “He likes getting scritches right here.” They guide his hand to just the right spot just as  Lukas makes his usual displeased squawk- a slow building thing that starts to rial up the others and his tail slowly starts to fan out. “Hey.” They say, and their voice spreads through the room, loud and commanding.  
  
Lukas stops.  
  
“I don't think he likes me. I-” Gable keeps Jonnit's hand there. "The other- bird- uh-"

"Flee."

"Yeah- Flee likes me more so I can-" They don't let up on his wrist.  
  
“Gentle. Just barely press your nails down. He's a big baby sometimes.” They step away to Flee, who chitters loudly, beak clicking, and they curl their fingers on the sides of his neck, running their hands up and down until Flee quiets down.  
  
They watch Jonnit from the corner of their eye, the way Lukas tries to nip at his bandana and the way Jonnit keeps his back straight, staring straight at the bird.  
  
“It's soft.”  
  
“He preens a lot.”  
  
“I don't know what that word means.”  
  
“It's like- cleaning? They do it to keep their feathers straight.”  
  
“Oh.” Jonnit keeps scratching where Gable put him. Their birds are big and proud things, even Flee. They kept expecting the others to freak out over them. Lukas is bigger then Jonnit, and Lukas is their smaller bird. If he wanted to, he could take one of Jonnit's fingers off like it's nothing.  
  
“If you help me feed Metatron, I'll teach you a few tricks.” They don't look at him, but they can almost feel Jonnit get more energy- practically start bouncing.  
  
Metatron is in the darkest part of the level, tucked into the corner of his cage, with his blinder on. They love all of their birds, but they're not laboring under the illusion of kindness. They're vicious animals if they want to be. Metatron doesn't take kindly to other people even being down here.  
  
Metatron could take Jonnit's entire arm off like it's nothing.  
  
They've watched him do worse before.  
  
Flee chitters and they shush him gently, one more soothing rub down their back.  
  
“Why does he have that thing on his head?”  
  
“So he doesn't freak out.” They whistle twice while they open the icebox, pulling out a dead hare.  
  
“Does- Does he freak out a lot?”  
  
“Not around me.”  
  
They think they hear Jonnit swallow. They toss him the hare, and he catches it pretty easily, kind of wincing at the dead animal. Gable supposes that's a normal reaction. For a kid. They whistle one more time, and Metatron's wings stretch out. He yawns, switching to his own cry and Jonnit straightens up even more.  
  
“Uh-”  
  
“Don't be scared.” Gable reaches into the cage and pulls the blinders off slowly so that the bird can adjust to the light. “He only looks mean.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“Come here Jonnit.” He does, slower than he usually would, but he does, bumping into their back. “Hold it out by the ears.”  
  
“O-okay.” Once Metatron sees it, his head lurches forward, and he yanks the hare out of Jonnit's hands with enough force that Jonnit gets dragged forward. Gable catches him by the arm, pulling him back. Gable can feel him shake a little. They take a moment to pat his shoulder until he catches his breath.  
  
“They're not scary.” They say. “You just have to get used to them. What they like. Like people.”  
  
“Yeah.” Jonnit whispers, blinking and straitening up again. “You're gonna teach me right?”  
  
Gable smiles.  
  
“Head upstairs, yeah? Ask Wasp for bread and salt. Are you hungry?”  
  
“Uh- I mean- Yeah I guess?”  
  
“Some of whatever is for dinner too. I'll be by pretty quick.” He nods and takes off running - “Jonnit?”  
  
He stops and spins on his heel, almost falling down, but he catches himself pretty easily.  
  
He's a nimble kid.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You did good.”  
  
His smile is blinding.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always encouraged and very very very appreciated
> 
> talk[ to me here](http://iamalivenow.tumblr.com/)


End file.
